Pasadena to Unite in Prayer and Progress at 51st Annual Mayor’s Interfaith Breakfast

As the nation observes the National Day of Prayer, the City of Pasadena will play host to the 51st annual Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, May 2.

The event, held at the Pasadena Convention Center from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m., is set to bring together hundreds of community members, local leaders, and the interfaith community for a morning of reflection and prayer under the theme “Leaping Into the Future.”

Mayor Victor M. Gordo is expected to emphasize the importance of community unity and progress during the event. He expressed his enthusiasm for the long-standing tradition, saying, “The annual Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast is a tradition I am thrilled to continue. Bringing our diverse community together is essential for progress, and this morning presents an invaluable opportunity for unity.”

The event, sponsored by Wescom Credit Union, will be hosted by Friends In Deed, a local interfaith organization dedicated to providing supportive services to those experiencing homelessness and those at risk. 

Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater, Executive Director of Friends In Deed, emphasized the significance of the event, noting the organization’s 130-year history of congregations uniting to address local social issues.

This year’s keynote speaker is Melissa Ramirez, Ph. D., an organic chemist and Presidential Postdoctoral Scholar at Caltech. Born to Mexican immigrants and raised in Pasadena, Ramirez is a first-generation Latina who will start her own laboratory at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in January 2025. There, she will train the next generation of synthetic and computational organic chemists. 

“Ramirez is a perfect fit for this year’s theme as she looks toward teaching aspiring young scientists,” said Rabbi Grater.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Friends In Deed’s five core programs: The Women’s Room, Food Pantry, Bad Weather Shelter, Street Outreach and Housing, and Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance. These programs aim to meet the basic human needs of those experiencing homelessness and those at risk, helping them rebuild their lives.

The 51st Annual Pasadena Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer Breakfast is open to the public.

In his National Day of Prayer proclamation, President Joe Biden said, “Scripture tells us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer. This year, my prayer for our nation is that we keep faith that our best days are ahead of us and continue to believe in honesty, decency, dignity and respect. May we see each other not as enemies but as fellow human beings, each made in the image of God and each precious in His sight.

“May we leave no one behind, give everyone a fair shot and give hate no safe harbor. May we remember that nothing is beyond our capacity if we act together.”

A national day of prayer dates back to 1775, when the Continental Congress issued a proclamation recommending a day of fasting and prayer be observed on July 20, 1775